Belmopan, July 30, 2024.
Today, Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development,
Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, signed a letter of agreement with
Anita Zetina, Secretary General of the Secretariat for Central American
Social Integration (SISCA). This agreement establishes cooperation aimed
at strengthening and expanding the Ministry’s Elder Home Care Programme.
The signing was witnessed by Ambassador Her Excellency Lily-Wen Hsu of
the Republic of China (Taiwan), which is financing this programme.
This Elder Home Care Programme enhances the quality of life of persons over 60 years old. The programme allows elders to age with dignity and independence; provides specialized training for caregivers to attend to the mental, emotional and physical needs of older persons; creates employment opportunities for persons interested in becoming certified caregivers.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Theodore Perez, a beneficiary of the
programme, shared how it affected his life. He said, “It has been a blessing
to me because I was at a point at which I gave up. I said let me go rest but
they came… This programme has been a help for me and hope and I really
appreciate it.”
Ms. Kiana Belgrave, a caregiver in the programme, also shared her
experience. She said, “I would like to acknowledge the greatness of this
programme… It keeps them in a good mental mindset and lets them know
that someone is there for them.”
This Elder Home Care Programme aligns with Government’s #PlanBelize
Strategy of ensuring that Belize’s social protection framework fosters
inclusion and diversity of all vulnerable populations throughout their life.
For further information on how to apply to become certified elder home
caregiver, please contact Ms. Tiffany Garbutt at the Women and Family
Support Department at 227-3888 or hdc2.wd@humandev.gov.bz.
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